MEN'S HOCKEY: WCHA unveils new playoff trophy

BLOOMINGTON -- A new trophy will be presented to the men’s postseason champion of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association.

The league announced Wednesday that the Jeff Sauer WCHA Championship Trophy will be awarded to the WCHA Playoff champion beginning this year.

The new trophy is named in honor of former Colorado College and Wisconsin coach Jeff Sauer, the winningest coach in league history with 665 victories. Sauer’s association with the WCHA began in his playing days for Colorado College in the 1960s and continued through 31 years as head coach of the Tigers (1971-82) and Badgers (1982-2002) and for 14 seasons (2003-17) in various consulting capacities to the commissioner and association office.

The trophy will replace the Broadmoor Trophy, which had been with the conference since 1981 and given to the WCHA postseason champion annually since 1985. The Broadmoor, redesigned in 2010 to resemble its namesake hotel, will be retired.

Bemidji State will begin its quest for the Jeff Sauer WCHA Championship Trophy with a best-of-three quarterfinal series against Michigan Tech this weekend, March 2-4, at the Sanford Center.